Animated pull toy



April 1960 H. L. STRAITWELL, JR 2,933,852

' ANIMATED PULL TOY Filed Oct. 8, 1957 Q h INVENTOR.

Harold L .Sfraifwell EEEJ V ATTORNEY.

United States fatent G if ANIMATED PULL TOY Harold L. Straitwell, Jr., near Pulaski, Pa., assiguor to SfSzOIgi Products, Inc., Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation 0 Application October 8, 1957, Serial No. 688,882

Claims. (Cl. 46-107) This invention relates to a pull toy and more particularly to a toy in which novel animation is provided to imitate an animal playing with a captive ball.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of an animated pull toy wherein a life-like motion of the respective parts of the toy are achieved.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an animated pull toy incorporating a captive ball and means for moving the captive ball from side to side as between the front paws of a mechanical cat forming part of the toy. 7

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a pull toy in which the front wheels provide extra platform space over which the animated portions of the toy operate.

The animated toy shown and described herein comprises an improvement in the art of such toys in that a mechanical representation of an animal having front paws extended therefrom is employed to bat a ball back and forth between the front paws. The ball is held captive by a semi-rigid member and an inclined plane on the toy causes the ball to bounce as it isv moved back and forth transversely of the toy.

The toy isactuated by a crank arrangement built into the rear axle thereof and which crank arrangement is connected by a link to the arms or paws of the toy animal.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the toy.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the toy.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the toy with parts broken away.

By referring to the drawing and Figure l in'particular it will be seen that the animated toy comprises a rectangular platform supported by oppositely disposed 2,933,852 Patented Apr. 26, 1960 IQQ The platform 10 supports a vertically positioned body member 17 which is shaped in the outline of an animal such as a cat, for example, and which has a vertically arranged slot 18 near the foremost edge thereof. The U-shaped member 19 is disposed with the base of the U-shaped member 19 in the slot 18 and with the arms thereof extending outwardly therefrom and overlying the forward portion of the platform 10. The U-shaped member 19 and the arm portions thereof are preferably shaped to resemble the front legs or paws of a cat.

A vertical pivot pin 20 is positioned through the base portion of the U-shaped member 19 and engages a recess 21 in the body member 17 and a recess 22 in the platform 10, which recesses are in vertical alignment.

An opening 23 is formed in the U-shaped member 19 at one side of the base portion thereof and a link 24 having spaced enlarged shoulder portions 25 and 26, respectively, adjacent one end thereof is positioned through the opening 23 so that the enlarged shoulder portions 25 and 26 are disposed on either side of the body member 19 in loose relation thereto. The other end of the link 24v is formed in an eyelet 27 and is engaged on the crank 15.

Thus, rotary motion imparted to the crank 15 by the wheels 11 will move the link 24 alternately back and forth and cause the enlarged shoulders 25 and 26 to alternately engage the front and back sides of the base portion of the U-shaped member 19 thereby causing it to move in a rapid, intermittent, alternate, side-to-side motion.

Theends of the arms of the U-shaped member 19 will normally move outwardly from the sides of the platform 10 and over the wheels 1212. A semi-rigid member 28 is secured to the front portion of the body member 17 and extends forwardly and is attached to a hollow ball 29 which is capable of moving freely on the platform 10 and between the arm portions of-the U-shaped body member 19. A double ramp 30 is positioned on the platform 10 midway between the sides thereof and adjacent the front end thereof and in line with the arcuate path of the captive ball 29.

It will thus be seen that when the animated pull toy is moved, the U-shaped member 19 and the arms thereof in particular move in short, jerky motions batting the ball 29 from side to side from positions over the respective wheels 12-12 so that it continuously engages the double ramp 30. The motion is very much like that of a cat or kitten playing with a ball with its front paws and is particularly suitable for the particular animated toy therein disclosed.

It will thus be seen that the animated pull toy disclosed herein meets the several objects of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an animated toy having a platform with axles transversely thereof and wheels secured to said axles and one of said axles having a crank therein; a body member on said platform and a U-shaped member pivotally mounted in said body member about a vertical axis, with the arms of said U-shaped member extending forwardly therefrom, a ball positioned between the arms and engageable by the arms of said U-shaped member, means securing said ball in movable relation to said platform, and a link engaging said crank and said U-shaped member for imparting alternate side to side motion to said U-shaped member and thereby to said ball,

2. An animated toy as set forth in claim I wherein a double ramp is positioned transversely on the platform in the path of the ball. 7

3. An animated toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein said link has a pair of spaced enlarged shoulder portions thereon, one of which is disposed on each side of said U- shaped member where said link is engaged thereon.

4. An animated toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein the body member is slottedvertically near its front end and, the base, ofthe U-shaped member is disposed in 10 2,487,9

'4 said vertical slot and pivotally secured to said body member-and said platform. I 5. An animated toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means securing the ball comprises a semi-rigid elongated member pivoted to the front of said body member and secured to said ball.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Pacheco Nov. 15, 1949 

